Breast Cancer Awareness – The signs you might be ignoring
In recent years, Breast Cancer has become one of the most common cancers to hit women. It generally starts with a small lump, either visible or invisible. One of the biggest concerns regarding breast cancer is late detection, since most women do not pay much heed to the early symptoms. Why so? Because of lack of awareness. Believe us, ignorance is certainly not bliss when it comes to Breast Cancer.
For starters, it is essential to know the anatomy of the breast and understand its functions. Once you are aware of that, it is easier to point any abnormalities or visible changes.
Anatomy of a Breast
A female breast comprises of several parts: adipose tissue, lobes, lobules, milk ducts, lymph nodes and blood vessels. Largely, the breast is made up of the adipose tissue or body fat that stretches all the way from the collarbone, underarm across to the rib cage. Besides, the breast has somewhere between 12 to 20 lobes, which are a kind of sections. These are then divided further into smaller sections called lobules or milk glands.
Both the lobes and lobules are connected by milk ducts, which are responsible for transporting milk to the nipples. This is the region where the cancer generally resides.
Apart from these parts, there is also a lymphatic and vascular system that resides within the breast area. Both these systems collectively carry blood and fluid to and from the breast tissue to other parts of the body. There are lymph nodes that are scattered across the lymphatic system, which mainly provide immunity. It is these nodes where breast cancer is likely to spread to.
Breast cancer symptoms
While the symptoms may vary from a case-to-case basis, these are the most common warning signs:
- Lumps present inside the breast or even the underarm area
- Visible abnormalities in breast size or shape
- Persistent pain in the breast area
- Prominent veins in the breast area
- Nipple discharge
- Swelling, thickening or darkening of the breast
- Dimpling on the skin of the breast
- Inverted nipple
Apart from the signs mentioned above, one needs to focus on the nitty-gritties as well. In case there is an occurrence of nipple discharge, notice if it happens only in one breast or both. Besides, if it occurs on its own, without any form of squeezing, it could be a warning; even if there’s any blood that oozes out with the discharge is a dangerous sign.
Lumps are most likely the first sign of breast cancer, but not always so. The breast tissue is itself lump-like in texture and if you feel it’s the same in both the breasts, then it shouldn’t really be a concern. In case there’s a hard lump that feels a little different from the rest of the breast or there’s some change in the breast area, then it’s best to go in for a diagnosis.
While these symptoms do not necessarily signify cancer and could be benign, it is better to be safe than sorry. Make sure you visit a doctor immediately.
Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer
All women are advised to self-examine their breasts every month to check for any abnormalities. While it may not be a fail-proof method, it is the first step towards good breast health. In case one can’t make out the difference, a trained medical practitioner can be consulted who will firstly check the appearance of both breasts and point any suspicion, if visible.
Secondly, a manual check is also helpful to check the breast and underarm area for suspicious lumps. Additionally, the lymph nodes are also significant, and any enlargement is a cause of worry. If any lump is discovered, the texture, size and shape is taken note of to check if it’s cancerous or benign.
After the discovery of the lump, several tests are prescribed to rule out any suspicion. Right from mammography, ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to biopsy, all tests are conducted to prescribe the best treatment.
In most cases, women undergo breast cancer surgery or are advised lumpectomy to remove the tumour (only if it isn’t too large). If the tumour is large, chemotherapy is first conducted and then followed up with lumpectomy. Some women also go on for mastectomy, wherein the entire breast tissue is removed.
Another option is radiation therapy that kills cancer cells with the use of high-powered beams. While this is effective, it does come with certain side-effects such as fatigue, red rashes or swollen breasts. Lastly, chemotherapy is a treatment often associated with cancer. It makes use of drugs to destroy cancer cells, in case there’s a high risk of cancer returning. Chemotherapy is also conducted on women whose cancer has spread to other organs.
Listen to your breasts, if they are trying to whisper some tell-tale signs. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry.
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